a soft, woolen cap
by Aiko Isari
Summary: Sitting with her little girl in the middle of the airport, she waited.


Christmas carols parade over Mikagura Mirei's head and for a moment, she regrets coming here. Off-key language butchering was enough trauma to her poor, innocent eardrums. She adjusted her grip on Nadia, phone clutched tightly in her other hand. The child slept on, purple tufts garishly poking out of the black winter hat and getting looks from passerby.

Or maybe she was getting looks. Honestly, she couldn't tell.

Her phone didn't buzz. It hadn't made a sound in five minutes. She rubbed her eyes behind her glasses and continued to wait.

The carolers sang on. Snow fell outside the window at her back. It was steady and deceivingly soft. She heard cars honk and roll by, the holiday rush outside palpable luggage bags collapsing in the sleet onto the concrete. Mirei hid her face in her navy blue scarf, stolen from him.

Her phone buzzed and she flicked the screen on.

Taiga's words in a jumbled mass of emojis and hastily typed syllables, read roughly, _is he there yet?_

 _I don't believe so,_ she replied, refusing, as always, to rise to the modern day speak. She was, as he put it, such a grandma.

A sad face, followed by an image of rolling eyes. _I'll get him._

 _It's supposed to be a surprise._

 _He hates surprises._

Mirei resisted the urge to correct him in that the person she was waiting for hated most things, but decided against it. They were best friends, after all.

Approximately five minutes later, her phone vibrated often enough that it woke up the girl in her lap. She smoothed her hair down through the hat and shushed her.

"It's all right, Nadi," she murmured, smirking a little at the looks on various people's faces. "It's okay, it's just the phone." She shushed her further for a moment, rubbing her back with one hand. She accepted the call with the other. "Surprise?" Mirei offered a smile on her face despite the fact that he couldn't see it.

"More like a heart attack." His voice sounded at least a little amused, despite the undercurrent of barely controlled fear. His wife and daughter had taken an airplane ticket all the way ou here and those weren't cheap.

"Grumbling as ever, I see."

He snorted. "What are you doing here? I told you I was heading back over New Years."

"I'm impatient," Mirei replied. "I've never been to America before, Nikolai. What, do you expect me to just 'let you be'? All alone in a hotel room?" She laughed. "Please. You'd miss us more than we miss you."

He grunted something under his breath that she chose to interpret as her being right. It was just smarter, in the long run, to think so.

"Daddy..." Nadia mumbled, still somewhat awake.

Mirei laughed softly. "Yes, daddy's on the phone. On his way here as a matter of fact."

"You are _evil_ ," he muttered, sounding not put out in the slightest. "I'll be there soon. We'll have pizza."

"You love every evil bone in my body, just as I love all of yours," Mirei said with a lofty grin. "We'll see you soon."

After she hung up, Nadia looked sleepily up at her. "Win, Mommy?"

"We did."

Her daughter giggled sleepily.

Because who could resist such an adorable voice? She sure couldn't.

* * *

Nikolai Petrov had inherited the thin limbs and tall body of his father, along with most all of his features. It made it easier for him to see on the one hand, but on the other hand, his five-year-old daughter was getting too heavy for him to pick up. It was even more apparent since she was dozing when he came around and Mirei put him in her arms in lieu of saying hello. Half-asleep children were like dead weight. Well, she was the cutest dead weight that he had ever seen so it was fine.

"How long have you been here?" he managed to ask, watching her drag the two bags down the parking lot with her usual grace.

Mirei tilted her head, a catlike characteristic that was only made more endearing by the way the over-sized white hat drooped more on her head. It was hilarious, actually but he wouldn't dare say that out loud. Not until they were in bed, under the covers and he didn't get stares for the obviously Japanese woman following him to the very nice car provided by the agency. Sometimes GIGO was useful. The keyword there was sometimes.

Inside, Nadia instantly fell asleep between the two of them in the backseat, leaving Niko to chuckle as quietly as possible. "Jealous," Mirei murmured, smoothing her hair down and smiling at him in the darkness of the silver car.

He laughed, freely, as they were the only ones here plus the wholly unnecessary driver. "If I could fall asleep like that I would have missed you."

"It's because you fret so."

"Probably," he agreed with a nod. He leaned over and brushed his hand -cautiously, ever cautiously- onto her shoulder. He squeezed it. "I suppose you're here to help."

Mirei smiled again and yawned softly. "I aim to please."

Snow fell outside the car, soft and slow. Niko, having been to Michigan for multiple winters, squinted at the seemingly peaceful weather. He gave it an hour before it whipped up into a Michigan frenzy. He wrinkled his nose at the thought.

"We'll be fine."

Mirei heard him snort. "I know," Nikolai replied. "We'll get snowed in so we can get room service tomorrow and watch a stupid movie. Nadia can open her presents early-"

"And we'll sleep in," Mirei added. "And Nadi will jump you first, then me, because she can dodge your elbows. And we'll skype everyone at noon because that's what they expect-"

"And we'll watch another movie together." Nikolai paused and leaned carefully over their sleeping girl to kiss Mirei on the cheek. Ever cautious again, he managed a more tremulous smile. "And we'll be alone together for a while."

"A short while," Mirei informed him with a prim smile.

He rolled his eyes and she laughed again, watching him lurch at the car's slightly sharp swerve. She held him and their hands curled over each other, only parting at the hotel entrance for the sake of luggage.

And if the morning happened exactly as they had joked about, well, neither of them complained. Niko knew better. She always had good ideas after all.

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ Fluff is good for the soul, right? Right? Also if anyone wants to know if the airport is somewhere that exists, think the Metro Detroit Airport in Michigan. I've been there a lot.

Challenges: Writing challenge from The Artist's Zone, Pairing Diversity prompt - potent, AU Diversity prompt - receive, gameverse boot camp prompt -blush, Easter Egg Advent 2016 - write about at least five different colors, mega prompts writing 127, Mini fic masterclass Oneshot Decode list 4.


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